Jayhawks Open Homestand With Creighton Tuesday

LAWRENCE, Kan.- The University of Kansas women's basketball team looks to get back in the win column with a home game versus Creighton on Tuesday, Nov. 27. KU (3-1), who suffered its first loss of the season in the title game of the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic against the host Mustangs in its last outing, will take on the 4-1 Bluejays at 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse.

FAST BREAKS

•Sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray leads the Jayhawks in scoring with 15.0 points per game. McCray is joined by fellow sophomore guard Sade Morris in double digits as Morris records 12.0 tallies per game.

•Kansas has out-rebounded its opponents in all four games this season.

•Six different Jayhawks have scored in double figures this season, with McCray being the only player to post double digits in all four outings.

•Kansas will stay in Allen Fieldhouse for their next four games. KU will host St. Louis, Marquette, Indiana and UC Riverside before they hit the road for a trip to California.

KU-CREIGHTON SERIES HISTORY

The Jayhawks and Bluejays will be meeting for the 29th time, with KU leading the all-time series 16-12. Kansas also leads the series 9-5 in games played in Lawrence. Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 2-1 versus the Bluejays.

A LOOK AT CREIGHTON

Creighton is off to its best start in seven years with a 4-1 record, its only loss coming at No. 6 Rutgers. CU is coming off a 13-19 season, including an 8-10 sixth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference and a spot in the MVC Tournament title game. CU is picked to finish sixth in the MVC preseason poll. The Bluejays show impressive offensive balance, with all 10 regulars averaging between 5.2 and 9.4 points per game, led by senior Sara Cain. Freshman Kelsey Woodard is second on the team with 8.8 points per game, as she is averaging 11.3 ppg in CU's last three games. The defense leads the MVC, allowing just 57.2 points per game, while the offense averages 69.8 ppg. Megan Neuvirth, the 2007 MVC Newcomer of the Year, tops the team with 6.0 rebounds per game, while Kristina Voss has logged 15 offensive rebounds (of 20 total). Jim Flanery is the head coach of the Bluejays and owns a 92-69 mark in his sixth season with the program. His overall coaching record is the same.

A LOOK AT KANSAS

The Jayhawks enter Tuesday's game sporting a 3-1 mark with wins over Hartford, UMKC and Drake and a loss to SMU. The Jayhawks are led by a pair of sophomores as Danielle McCray (15.0) and Sade Morris (12.0) both average double figures in scoring. Senior Taylor McIntosh leads KU on the boards with 8.5 caroms per contest, while McCray pulls down 7.5 an outing. Junior guard Ivana Catic is dishing just over four assists per game, while McIntosh is the steals leader with 2.5 per game. KU is coached by Bonnie Henrickson, who owns a 43-50 mark in her fourth season. Henrickson is 201-112 in her 11th season overall.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

• Kansas junior guard Katie Smith is a native of Omaha, Neb. Smith attended Skutt Catholic in Omaha before coming to KU. While at Skutt, Smith helped lead her team to the Class B runner-up finish at the state tournament as a junior and senior. Smith was named a member of the 2005 All-Nebraska basketball team.

The Jayhawks have compiled an impressive record outside the Big 12 Conference in regular-season play. KU owns a 262-137 (.657 winning percentage) record versus non-conference opponents. The Jayhawks' best non-conference record came during the 2005-06 season as they collected an 11-0 mark against non-conference foes during the regular season and added another out of conference win during the 2006 WNIT with a win over Northern Iowa.

LAST TIME OUT

Kansas sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray turned in a season-high 21 points, but it was not enough as the Jayhawks dropped their first game of the season 68-56 to tournament host SMU. KU (3-1) finished as the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic runner up after falling to the Mustangs (4-1) in the title game. McCray, who hit 8-of-18 shots from the field, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, was named to the All-Tournament team after putting together back-to-back double figure scoring games. SMU senior Janelle Dodds was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after collecting 29 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas. Dodds led a second-half Mustang charge, scoring eight-straight points during the first 10 minutes of the second period to help extend SMU's tight lead to double digits. KU was plagued by turnovers, committing 24 compared to SMU's 15. They were also done in at the free throw line, knocking down 6-of-11. SMU, on the other hand, hit 24-of-27, outscoring the Jayhawks by 18 points on their way to the win. The first half of play was tightly contested. SMU's Katy Cobb was the first to score as she knocked down a jumper, but answered back for the Jayhawks and went on to put up 13 points in the first half. McCray also pulled down five first-half rebounds, while senior forward Taylor McIntosh grabbed seven as the Jayhawks out did the Mustangs 22-13 on the glass in the opening period of play. KU inched out to a four-point lead midway through the first half after a three-point basket by McCray, but SMU countered with a four-point play by Sharee Shepherd as she was fouled while making a three-point basket and also knocked down the ensuing free throw. The remainder of the half was a back and forth affair. The two teams went to the break tied at 25 after KU sophomore guard LaChelda Jacobs hit a running jumper with less than a minute to play to knot it up. McIntosh finished the game with her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds. It also marked the sixth double-double of her career. McIntosh also had four steals. Jacobs was the third Jayhawk player in double digits with 12 points. It marked the second-straight double digit scoring performance by the Mansfield, Texas, native.

MCCRAY NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Jayhawk sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray picked up her first all-tournament honors of her career at the SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic. The 5-foot-11 Olathe, Kan, native, turned in a season-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the title game versus the Mustangs. She also had 14 points and eight rebounds in KU's opening around win over Drake.

MAGNIFICENT MORRIS

KU sophomore guard Sade Morris has been the model of consistency through the first four games of the 2007-08 season. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging a 12.0 points per game, while also contributing 3.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Jayhawks. She has connected on 17-of-48 shots from the field, and has also hit 12-of-14 from the foul line. She scored the final six points of the game for Kansas in sealing the Jayhawks' win over UMKC, on her way to 13 points. Morris also dropped in a career-best 17 points in the season-opening win over Hartford. In addition, she scored in double digits against Drake with 10 points.

DELECTABLE DISHES

The Jayhawks have collected 60 assists on their 95 baskets this season. Junior guard Ivana Catic and sophomore guard Sade Morris lead the way with 17 and 12 assists a piece, respectively. Nine of the 12 players who have seen action so far this season have dished at least one assist.

FAST STARTERS

During their first four outings, the Jayhawks have raced out to big first halves. KU has outscored its' opponents 135-103 during the first 20 minutes of action. While they are averaging 33.8 points per game during the first stanza, their opponents are just scoring 25.8 points in the opening frame.

NIFTY NIC

Freshman forward Nicollette Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week by a media voting panel for games from Nov. 5-11. The Tulsa, Okla., native turned in a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs, in her Jayhawk debut. Smith made 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc and all seven of her free throw attempts, including going 4-of-4 in the final minute, to lead KU to a 76-72 season-opening win over two-time defending America East champion Hartford. She also had two assists in the Jayhawk win. Smith is the fourth Jayhawk to earn Big 12 Rookie of the Week and first since Kelly Kohn was honored on Dec. 18, 2006.

JAYHAWK POWER

For the first time in the history of the University of Kansas athletics the football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams each boasted undefeated records at the same time. The Jayhawk football team won their first 11 games of the 2007 season, while the KU men's basketball team is currently 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll, while the Kansas women opened the season with three-straight wins.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

With just three more wins in Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will have secured their 300th victory on their home court. KU boasts a 297-132 (.692 winning percentage) mark in the historic building. Kansas has had five undefeated seasons at home, posting a 13-0 mark during the 1990-91 season. KU is 31-21 (.596 winning percentage) at home under head coach Bonnie Henrickson.

HENRICKSON TOPS 200

With a 64-58 win over UMKC, Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson hit the 200 win mark. Henrickson has compiled a 201-112 (.643 winning percentage) in her first 10+ seasons on the sidelines. Through her first decade as a head coach, the Willmar, Minn., native, has averaged right at 20 wins per season.

LEADERS OF THE JAYHAWKS

Seniors Jamie Boyd and Taylor McIntosh and junior Ivana Catic have been named tri-captains for the 2007-08 season. It is the second-straight year for both McIntosh and Catic to be bestowed with the honor, while Boyd is serving as a captain for the first time in her Jayhawk career.

BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL

The University of Kansas was tabbed 10th in the preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches. Texas A&M edged two-time defending champion Oklahoma for the top spot in the poll. The Aggies return all five starters from last season's team and received seven first place votes.

MCCRAY GARNERS PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 HONORS

Kansas sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray was tabbed Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention in a poll of the league coaches. It was the first such honor for the 5-foot-11 Olathe, Kan., native.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Three members of the Kansas women's basketball team come from highly athletic families. Sophomores Kelly Kohn and Porscha Weddington and freshman Krysten Boogaard all have current or former professional athletes in their immediate family. Kohn's brother, Matt, currently plays indoor football for the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, while Weddington's father, Michael, played collegiately for Oklahoma and professionally for the Green Bay Packers. Boogaard comes from a hockey family. Her older brother Derek plays in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild, while another brother Aaron plays in the Pittsburgh Penguins minor league organization. Several other members of the Jayhawk roster have collegiate athletes among their family members.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

A pair of Jayhawk forwards have notched double-doubles so far on the season. Senior Taylor McIntosh turned in a 13-point, 12-rebound performance in KU's win over UMKC, and also had 10 points and 13 rebounds against SMU. Freshman forward Nicollette Smith also doubled up with 19 points and 10 rebounds in her collegiate debut versus Hartford. McIntosh's now has six double features in her career, which leads the Jayhawks. Sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray has collected two double-doubles in her career.

BIG 12 SHOWING POWER EARLY

The Big 12 Conference is well represented in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls. Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas are ranked in both polls, while Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Iowa State and Texas Tech are receiving votes. In addition to KU's Big 12 competition receiving recognition, non-conference opponent California is tabbed in both Top 25 polls, while other out of conference foes, Xavier, Marquette and Hartford are receiving votes in one or both polls.

G'DAY MATE

In early August, the Jayhawks took a 10-day tour of Australia, playing four games and taking in the sites around the country. KU started in Sydney, visiting the Sydney Opera House, the Harbor Bridge and also taking on the Sydney Sharks. Next up was Brisbane for two games and tours of the Crocodile Hunter's Zoo and Surfer's Paradise. The final stop on the tour was Cairnes, where the Jayhawks made an all-day trek to the Great Barrier Reef, bungy jumped in the rain forest and also played their final game. KU completed the tour with a 3-1 mark and left the country with an experience of a lifetime.

WEBCAST AVAILABLE

New this season, Kansas fans will be able to watch 18 KU home basketball games live via AT&T Jayhawk All Access on kuathletics.com. To subscribe to Jayhawk All Access, log on to kuathletics.com and click on the All Access logo in the upper right corner of the page.

EXCELLENT EXPOSURE

The Jayhawks television and radio coverage is one of the best in the country. KU will be featured on television 24 times this season, including all 18 contests at Allen Fieldhouse. In addition, each of KU's 16 regular season home games will be featured nationally on ESPN360.com. Kansas will also appear on national television four times. Among the Jayhawk Radio Network affiliates carrying the 2006-07 season includes WIBW (580 AM), which boasts the 11th largest signal in the country. KLWN (1320 AM) of Lawrence will join KCSP (610 AM), weekend games, and KXTR (1660 AM), weeknight games, are a few of the affiliates fans can use to listen to Jayhawk basketball.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks will continue their five-game homestand as they open December with games against Saint Louis (Dec. 2), Marquette (Dec. 6), Indiana (Dec. 9) and UC Riverside (Dec. 16). Following the completion of the homestand, KU will head out west for games at San Jose State (Dec. 19) and California (Dec. 21), before breaking for the holidays.

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